It is definitely true…in the United States we like to diet. In fact, according to Marketdata, approximately 108 million people in the U.S. dieted in 2013 and collectively we spend over a billion dollars on weight loss programs each year. As we think back to all of the diet fads and food trends that made headlines, most of us are quick to throw out the old and welcome the new.

During the late 1990s, Dr. Robert Atkins revolutionized the world with his popular lifestyle and diet books titled, “New Diet Revolution”. The diet helped millions of people suffering from blood sugar issues, diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular implications from excessive glucose and overboard insulin responses.

We all know that mono cropping, herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers are depleting the soil of minerals and trace elements, which we need in our foods to stay healthy. Humans need such elements as phosphorus, calcium, sulfur, sodium, chloride, and potassium for our basic survival. To consume the same amount of minerals and trace elements as our parents did during their childhood, we would need to eat at least 35% more food. What we need is a more efficient source of minerals and trace elements.

Winter’s cold-weather leaves us sniffling, sneezing, nutrient-deprived and a bit blue, so heading for the supplement aisle in search of the perfect vitamin, supplement or medicine is a fairly common approach. One of the biggest mistakes made during the cold-weather season is running to the nearest drug store without doing your research first!

If there is one thing I took away from the recent NeoCon East Conference & Expo in Baltimore, held October 29–31, 2014, it’s that workplaces are getting healthier! Joan Blumenfeld, the firm-wide Design Director for Interiors and Principle at Perkins+Will says, “It’s because people recognize that healthy workplaces make people more productive. It’s not revolutionary…it's evolutionary. Being conscious is half of the issue.”

Our mental health is something that many of us easily take for granted. When things are going well, we don’t even think about it. But about 10% of us will struggle with major depression at some point in our lives (1). In addition, situational depression based on life events (the loss of a job or loved one, etc.) is common. Many people are reluctant to try prescribed medications due to stigma, side effects or cost. Some feel they do not need to be on medication long term—that they can just tough it out.

Finding new customers is at the core of growing your business. You’re always going to be searching for the next hot product, the next big acquisition, or the next novel business idea. But the headlong drive towards everything new can easily cause you to forget what makes up the bedrock of your business: long term customer loyalty. Customers are 6-7 times more expensive to acquire than to maintain, meaning that a strong base of loyal customers is at the heart of every great business.

My marketing communications firm has been successfully advocating healthy lifestyles for nearly 30 years. Believe it or not, this was my first time at the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo.The event took place in Atlanta from October 18 -21. What I can’t believe myself is how the obesity issue continues to expand. We still have a lot of work to do in three main categories – 1) Portion Control 2) Snacking and 3) Sourcing.